The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-03
IN HIS OWN DEFENSE.

What the Health Officer Has to Say of
the Criticisms on Quarantine Matters.
OFFICE HEALTH OFFICER, SAVANNAH,
Oct 2-E'ditor Morning Netcs: AS much
as dislike newspaper publicity, feel com
PEELED for self protection, to answer the ar
ticles which have recently been published,
charging neglect of official duty on the part
of the Health Officer.
will take the articles. seriatlm, as pub
lshed in the papers of the city, and for sub
sanitation of the truth of my statements |
affirm that my official letter book will con
firm every point claimed by me, and that
the same is open to the inspection of any in
quiring mind
First: On September, 1887, the Captain of
Che bark Edna complained, through the
print of the MORNING NEWS, that his vessel
had been detained one day one time at the
quarantine station, and that he was in
formed that it was occasiOned by neglect of
the Health Officer in the city. | concluded,
at the time of publication, not to take no
tice of this little piece of effervescence, but
now think it best to give facts, which are as
follows: | issued permits for the bark Edna
| to come TO the city on afternoon of day,
upon lUhjch the quarantine officer notified
me that said UeSSeL lUaS ready to come to
the city. She came up the following day
| The permit from me was sent to the tugbOat
office within two hours after the receipt of
notification of readiness from the quarantine
officer.
Second: In the Daily Times of Sept. 80,
it is stated that the brigantine Isabella,
from Bull river had been i'll quarantine ten
| 90 days, and that the Health Officer had
been written to twice by the captain and
that he had not replied to either letter
These statements are absolutely false. The
| brigantine Isabella arrived at quarantine
sometime during the night E(according to
the papers, on Saturday, Sept "a, 1887.
received notice OF said vessel
being at quarantine on Sunday night,
Sept 3d. 1887 On Sept. 26, l wrote
| order for the Isabella to be allowed to come
| to the city unless there was sickness on
| board. had to repeat this order. and the
vessel came up on Friday, Sept. 80, short six
days detention, instead often days There
| was an unintentiOnal delay to this vessel ,oc-
| casioned by faulty communication with the
station. Up to this date l have not received
a scratch of a pen from the captain of the
Isabella. Let the stigma rest where it be-
| longs; it does not touch me.
Third: In MORNING NEWS of Oct. 2, date,
the Captain of the schooner Belle Hooper,
complains of his detention and fumigation at
| the quarantine station his vessel being from
| the West Indies through Philadelphia. He
| does not arraign me, but objects to the regu-
| lations / simply explain the case of his
| vessel i'll justification of myself. At the
time when the schooner Belle Hooper arrived
| at the quarantine station, the Sanitary
Board, of Savannah, had instructed
| the Health Officer to so detain
and fumigate vessels under like
| circumstances I had no option. | had to
! obey instructions given me, their executive
officer. The clothing and bedding of the
crew were ordered fumigated, for the reason
| that no such treatment was administered in
| Philadelphia when said vessel arrived from
the West Indies. If anything works incon-
veniently in the quarantine department,
many persons are ready to blame the Health
| Officer, and are not over-careful as to the
| truth of statements promulgated, and in
tentionally or otherwise forget that he has
to conform to orders given him by the Board
| of Sanitary Commissioners.
| 1t is nothing but proper that | should be
arraigned for any neglect of official duties,
and it is gross injustice to me to be brought
! before the community under false charges,
! as are numbers one and two cited in this
communication. In closing this already too
long article desire to say, Mr.. Editor, that
YOU in your editorial of yesterdays date,
blame the Health Officer for not having
wharfage room at the Quarantine Station
to allow vessels to readily discharge ballast.
| Is there not in Justice in your structures:
Strike higher Look for larger game!
! What have ! to do with furnishing ballast
wharves at the quarantine station! | can,
| and have recommended increase of unbal-
lasting facilities at the quarantine station.
! but you seem to think that all blame must
| be saddled upon me. Respectfully,
j. T. MCFARLAND, NJ. D.,
| Health Officer.